Eleven Things I Know About Fiction Writing - CrimeSpace2024-03-28T20:34:49Zhttps://crimespace.ning.com/forum/topics/eleven-things-i-know-about-fiction-writing?commentId=537324%3AComment%3A332637&feed=yes&xn_auth=noOf course, Brian. Glad you f…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2012-03-05:537324:Comment:3333972012-03-05T04:40:55.442ZJon Loomishttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/JonLoomis
<p>Of course, Brian. Glad you found them useful.</p>
<p>Of course, Brian. Glad you found them useful.</p> Jon,
Thank you for this well…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2012-03-04:537324:Comment:3331322012-03-04T19:50:08.203ZBrian Hoffmanhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/BrianHoffman
<p>Jon,</p>
<p>Thank you for this well thought out and valuable list. Number 1 is the hardest to do. Number 3 refutes the worst advice ever given to an author. The others are just as true.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Would it be okay with you if I copied them and handed them out at my writer's group, about 15 people?</p>
<p></p>
<p>Jon,</p>
<p>Thank you for this well thought out and valuable list. Number 1 is the hardest to do. Number 3 refutes the worst advice ever given to an author. The others are just as true.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Would it be okay with you if I copied them and handed them out at my writer's group, about 15 people?</p>
<p></p> And if the monkey is a hard d…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2012-03-01:537324:Comment:3332622012-03-01T20:52:06.836ZJ W Nelsonhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/JWNelson
<p>And if the monkey is a hard drinking vervet, you really have something. ;) </p>
<p><a href="http://youtu.be/pSm7BcQHWXk" target="_blank">http://youtu.be/pSm7BcQHWXk</a></p>
<p>And if the monkey is a hard drinking vervet, you really have something. ;) </p>
<p><a href="http://youtu.be/pSm7BcQHWXk" target="_blank">http://youtu.be/pSm7BcQHWXk</a></p> Ha! Love it. Thanks, I.J.!tag:crimespace.ning.com,2012-02-26:537324:Comment:3326402012-02-26T22:49:44.465ZJon Loomishttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/JonLoomis
<p>Ha! Love it. Thanks, I.J.!</p>
<p>Ha! Love it. Thanks, I.J.!</p> Jon, you got a compliment fro…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2012-02-26:537324:Comment:3326642012-02-26T22:41:25.929ZI. J. Parkerhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/Ingpark
<p>Jon, you got a compliment from a reader under "Humorous novels." And yes, she's right. I laughed, too.</p>
<p>Jon, you got a compliment from a reader under "Humorous novels." And yes, she's right. I laughed, too.</p> Yep. I give this as an exerc…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2012-02-26:537324:Comment:3326382012-02-26T22:31:36.317ZJon Loomishttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/JonLoomis
<p>Yep. I give this as an exercise to my beginning fiction students: write a scene in which two characters are doing a dirty or complex or dangerous task while talking about trouble in a relationship. Fun!</p>
<p>Yep. I give this as an exercise to my beginning fiction students: write a scene in which two characters are doing a dirty or complex or dangerous task while talking about trouble in a relationship. Fun!</p> Every novel needs a monkey, B…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2012-02-26:537324:Comment:3326372012-02-26T22:29:13.279ZJon Loomishttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/JonLoomis
<p>Every novel needs a monkey, Benjamin.</p>
<p>Every novel needs a monkey, Benjamin.</p> I knew my novel needed a monk…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2012-02-26:537324:Comment:3326342012-02-26T22:21:09.930ZBenjamin Sobieckhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/BenjaminSobieck
<p>I <em>knew</em> my novel needed a monkey!</p>
<p>I <em>knew</em> my novel needed a monkey!</p> Thanks for a great post, Jon…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2012-02-26:537324:Comment:3326182012-02-26T15:27:32.977ZRichard Krausshttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/RichardKrauss
<p>Thanks for a great post, Jon. I especially liked your take on "write what you know."</p>
<p>As for the monkey, there's always more than one thing going on in life. Most scenes are better if there's more than one thing going on there as well.</p>
<p>Thanks for a great post, Jon. I especially liked your take on "write what you know."</p>
<p>As for the monkey, there's always more than one thing going on in life. Most scenes are better if there's more than one thing going on there as well.</p> See, I would disagree to some…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2012-02-26:537324:Comment:3326152012-02-26T15:09:30.536ZJon Loomishttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/JonLoomis
See, I would disagree to some extent--I know Elmore Leonard says that if it sounds like writing he cuts it, but that's a stylistic choice and not a maxim I'd want everyone to live by. A lot of Chandler sounds like writing--you can see the author in the background, working away--but it's still wonderful. There are other rewards in a novel besides the story, potentially, and good writing is one of them.
See, I would disagree to some extent--I know Elmore Leonard says that if it sounds like writing he cuts it, but that's a stylistic choice and not a maxim I'd want everyone to live by. A lot of Chandler sounds like writing--you can see the author in the background, working away--but it's still wonderful. There are other rewards in a novel besides the story, potentially, and good writing is one of them.